Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Marine Pollution Bulletin

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Surgical face masks as a potential source for microplastic pollution in the T

COVID-19 scenario
Tadele Assefa Aragaw
Faculty of Chemical and Food Engineering, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology-Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Although there have been enormous reports on the microplastic pollution from different plastic products, im-
Covid-19 pacts, controlling mechanisms in recent years, the surgical face masks, made up of polymeric materials, as a
Medical face mask source of microplastic pollution potential in the ecosystem are not fully understood and considered yet. Current
Plastic production studies are mostly stated out that microplastics pollution should be a big deal because of their enormous effect on
Microplastics pollution
the aquatic biota, and the entire environment. Due to the complicated conditions of the aquatic bodies, mi-
Disposable plastics
croplastics could have multiple effects, and reports so far are still lacking. In addition to real microplastic
pollutions which has been known before, face mask as a potential microplastic source could be also researching
out, including the management system, in detail. It is noted that face masks are easily ingested by higher or-
ganisms, such as fishes, and microorganisms in the aquatic life which will affect the food chain and finally
chronic health problems to humans. As a result, microplastic from the face mask should be a focus worldwide.

1. Backgrounds and knowledge gaps is also very important.

The use of plastic polymers has huge societal benefits, but the mi-
croplastic (MP) fragments depends on the plastic age comes with pro-
blems for health, and environmental impacts. This issue is due to the
improper handling of plastic waste as part of the solid wastes. The
mismanagements, also with the high production capacity of plastic
products, on the plastic solid waste, raise a prosperity study validates
that MP has universally permeated to the aquatic ecosystem nowadays.
Because of the huge plastic solid wastes released in the littering as well
as aquatic bodies, MP ingestion by aquatic biotas has been increased.
Surly, plastics waste in the aquatic system originates from solid waste,
also could be from the municipal effluents, and the runoffs across the
littering in the cities (Wagner et al., 2014).
Even if the research on MP pollution originated from plastic wastes
has been conducted, and limited awareness created by many scholars,
there are immense gaps of knowledge regarding medical face masks
that are manufactured from plastic polymers and could be a potential
source of MP pollution. As like that of the conventional plastic products
(bottles, caps, etc.…) as a relevant source for MPs, and have environ-
mental, the surgical face masks should be investigated as a big source of
MPs. Therefore, MPs from the face masks are for aquatic system con-
taminants of emerging concern, and researches should be conducted to
assess the environmental risk, comprehensive data on their abundance,
fate, sources, and biological effects are needed, and awareness creation
2. History of COVID-19 and face masks
Many residents in the industrialized world, such as china, Beijing,
have been using disposable face masks in an attempt to protect their
health from high particulate matter (PM) concentrations so far. Mostly,
face masks for selling may or may not be certified to the nation or WHO
standards, but their shelf life performance may not deliberate (Wcherrie
et al., 2018). Even if the developed countries have been using ex-
tensively face masks since the emergence of COVID-19 all over the
world including developing countries are using in mass. World Health
Organization (WHO) detected Covid-19 in China in December 2019 and
its declaration as a pandemic and various measures have been put in
place in different all over the world to control the virus further spread
(Xu and Li, 2020). The idea of lockdown (staying at home), travel re-
striction and isolation is the most successful preventive measure. But,
the governments afraid that the world economy will pull down and the
crisis will occur. Thus, the peoples as well the governments of different
countries are forced to release the lockdown and uses other options. The
mass wearing of disposable face masks together with implementing
social distancing, good hand hygiene (washing of hands), and avoiding
public or crowded spaces (Tran et al., 2020). Although the disposable
face masks were primarily made for the protection of health-care pro-
fessionals, who are skills how to use and dispose of, to prevent

E-mail address: taaaad82@gmail.com.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111517
Received 28 June 2020; Received in revised form 23 July 2020; Accepted 23 July 2020
Available online 25 July 2020
0025-326X/ © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
T.A. Aragaw
occupational hazards, untrained professionals also use of face masks
during the outbreak of SARS in 2003 and COVID-19 in 2019 (Elachola
et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2011). The use of these face masks by un-
professional, lead to a severe problem in the environment as a solid
waste problem and as microplastic pollution in the marine as well as
freshwater ecosystems. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, re-
searchers and scientists have promoted the use of face masks in mass
until the mode of transmission of Covid-19 is fully understood which
already adopted from the influenza pandemic scenario (Schuchat et al.,
2011). It has too been contended that it can offer assistance in de-
creasing the number of times an individual touch the face/mouth/nose
with unwashed hands, which can significantly diminish the chance of
contamination. The presentation of face masks (H. Liang Wu et al.,
2020) as one of the prudent measures to moderate down the trans-
mission rate of Covid-19 from individual to individual has come about
in a worldwide deficiency for the foremost respected gather, which are
the health care experts (Wu et al., 2020). As per the estimate of WHO,
nearly 89 million procedural masks were needed to control COVID 19
each month (WHO, 2020). This has brought about a phenomenal rise
within the worldwide productions of medical masks produced from
Polymeric Nanofibers. At this time, not only the medical masks but also
non-medical masks have been producing, for those who can't able to
buy, from different materials including cotton, silks, etc.… which are
uncertified by WHO. Major players in face mask production have in this
manner scaled up their capacities. The production capacities expected
to increase as a COVID-19 infection case will increase globally (Phan
and Ching, 2020). For example, China produces 200 million face masks
a day as of June 2020 which is more than twenty times the amount it
made at the start of February 2020. Besides, because many countries
are decreasing lockdown restriction, it could lead to a drastic increase
in infection correspondingly will increase the face mask production
capacities. Surgical face masks (use and dispose of) can be manu-
factured from different polymeric materials. Such as polypropylene,
polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly-
ethylene, or polyester depending on the order of the customers. Those
polymeric materials, exactly, have been using as a raw material for
different plastic product productions. Disposable masks consist of three
layers; an inner layer which is a fibrous material, middle layer (melt
gusted filter part), and an outer layer (nonwoven, which are water-
resistant and colored). The main filtering layer of the mask is produced
by the conventional fabrication fibers, which can be nanofiber and/or
microfiber depending on the target particulate matter size with an
electrospinning technology (Dutton, 2009). The polymer melt materials
are electrically charged then after the melted polymer subjected to the
electrical field where the polymeric material is removed and ‘cropped’
from the source in fine structures which form nanofibers (Leung and
Sun, 2020). Fig. 1 shows the Schematics of the electrospinning process
for face mask production (SalehHudin et al., 2018). There may exist
some variations in the formation of the products from one brand to the
others shown in Table 1. But, in general, the medical face mask is
manufactured from nanofiber plastic materials. Different nations have
been upgrading general production capacity due to the increase in the
utilization of surgical face masks.
3. Observation and fates of surgical face mask
The COVID-19 has created another sort of flare-up: a worldwide
resurgence in single-use plastic and a downpour of for the most part
unrecyclable personal protective equipment littering city lanes, clog-
ging sewage channels, indeed turning up profound underneath the
waves. The environmentalist and other campaigners have long worried
within the rise of a current environmental challenge, by adding to the
bulk plastics as solid waste and correspondingly microplastics particu-
larly within the aquatic environment. These face masks within the lit-
tering surface are washed into water bodies through surface flooding
and canals adding to the nearness of a macroplastics then after a
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Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517
microplastics within the oceanic medium. Particularly in Africa, this
can be the rainy season, from May to October, makes the freshwater
and marine environment stacked with microplastics. For instance, the
present author observes faces masks of different kinds, colors, and
textures in the Lake Tana, from Bahir Dar city littering (Fig. 2A) as well
as in channel in the town. Also, in the globe, organization advocacy and
research on marine pollution reported in February 2020, loads of face
masks in an ocean in Hong Kong. Also, a French environmental NGO
that assesses and taken out different surgical masks amid a later plunge
to the Mediterranean seabed around the resort town of Antibes as
shown in Fig. 2B reported on June 22, 2020. The massive use of face
masks by the emergency of COVID-19 gives evidence on the environ-
mental disorder both in the terrestrial and aquatic environment and
that the global pandemic has not reduced the challenge of increasing
plastic pollution in the environment. The massive use of face masks by
the emergency of COVID-19 gives evidence on the environmental dis-
order both in the terrestrial and aquatic environment and that the
global pandemic has not reduced the challenge of increasing plastic
pollution in the environment.
Use and through polymeric (polystyrene, polypropylene etc.…)
materials have been identified so far as a significant source of macro-
plastics and microplastic particulate pollution in the environment
(Schnurr et al., 2018). For instance, different packaging plastic mate-
rials, a bottling plastic materials (especially bottled water), and con-
tainers from the food processing industries are principal sources for
microplastics pollution as a form of fibers and/or particulate matter in
the ocean, freshwater and marine environment globally (Rios Mendoza
and Balcer, 2019). These polymeric materials will get into the water
bodies in different ways, such as leaching, flooding, and by the wind.
Similarly, disposable face masks, which made up of polymeric mate-
rials, have been getting into the environment first as disposal in landfill
and dumpsites or littering at public spaces then after into the fresh-
water, oceans as a new emerging source of microplastic fibers. These
face masks are degrading/fragmenting into pieces of particles with
various environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, saline etc.
…), commonly less than 5 mm (Schmidt et al., 2018).
4. Experimental validation by chemical structure and thermal
analysis
4.1. FTIR spectral analysis
The chemical structural illustrations the three parts in the face mask
fabric based on their stretching vibration with the corresponding photos
were examined by using Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spec-
troscopy as shown in Fig. 3(a) and (b). The FTIR spectral determination
was found as the critical supporting information of the face masks
chemical functional groups as plastic polymer materials. The experi-
ment was done using a JASCO-6600 spectrometer with a scanning
range of 400–4000 cm−1. Separately the three layers in the surgical
faces mask were sized reduced, and ground using mortar-pestle me-
chanical pressing with potassium bromide (KBr) powder. The peak at
611 cm−1 for the outer and inner layer, not the middle, attributes the
phenyl vibration absorption (Zhang et al., 2013). But the bands at
886 cm−1 for only the inner and outer parts of the face mask is the
stretching of carbonyl functional groups (Nam et al., 2016). The peaks
around 1100 cm−1 are assignments for the glucose rings stretching in
the fiber for the three parts of the face mask. The peaks at 1253 cm−1
for the outer and inner layer attributes for the CeO stretches. The outer
(non-woven) the inner (pure polystyrene) and the middle layers exhibit
two characteristic peaks around 1454 and 1380 cm−1 are ascribed to
the symmetry deformation of methyl (–CH2–) groups (Zhang et al.,
2013). The small spectral peaks at 1369, 1338, 1319 cm−1 on the outer,
and inner layers are the assignments of the methyl deformation and
others. A similarly FTIR spectral characteristics on PS/non-woven, pure
polystyrene, and non-woven fabrics reported by (Diao et al., 2017). The
T.A. Aragaw
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of electrospinning processing steps for the fabrication of nanofibre (SalehHudin et al., 2018).
peaks around 1619 and 1545 cm − 1 attributed to the C]O stretching
of the primary amide and CeN stretching, and NeH bends to the sec-
ondary amide in the polypropylene for the inner and outer layer of the
surgical face mask, respectively. However, no spectra peaks of the NeH
bending to the secondary amide for the middle layer due to the struc-
tures from the fabrics have been removed by the melting process (Chen
and Sun, 2005). A similar report on polypropylene infrared spectral
analysis was found by (Liu et al., 2019). The broad and clear peaks for
the three layers around 3414 and 2945 cm−1atributes the celluloses
OeH stretching, asymmetric and/or symmetric aliphatic CeH
stretching, respectively. The functional groups stretching vibration in
the spectra provide a piece of information that face masks have been
produced from polymeric materials, particularly from polypropylene
tells that it a huge source of microparticles pollution in the aquatic
ecosystem.
4.2. Thermogravimetric analysis
The thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA)
was used. Separately, the three (inner, middle, and outer) layers were
heated from 25 to 600 °C with a heating rate of 15 °C/min in the at-
mosphere control at a sampling cycle. A 6.3 mg mass was used for the
three layers. The empty crucible used as a reference. The complete
thermal analysis was 38 min. The endothermic phase transition heat
flows and peak temperatures of low-density polymeric plastics are
different. The phase transition flow value of polyethylene, poly-
propylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, polyamide, polyvinyl
chloride, and polyurethane are around 100 °C, 160 °C, 250 °C, 216 °C,
260 °C, 270 °C, and 290 °C, respectively (Majewsky et al., 2016). The
mass loss and an endothermic event appear as endothermic (negative)
peak are shown in the TGA/DTA thermograms. The present author
hypothesizes that the different negative thermal peaks of the three
layers would have appeared. As shown in Fig. 4 the inner, middle, and
outer layers of the face mask have 130, 125, and 175 °C endothermic
peak temperatures, respectively. This tells us that the surgical face
masks are fabricated using polypropylene (PP) plastic polymers which
3
Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517
coincide with the studies on microplastic determinations of different
polymers (Majewsky et al., 2016). The other endothermic and exo-
thermic peaks after from 300 to 450 °C temperatures could be the de-
formational or melt agglomerate transition phase. Besides, the ash
content remains after thermogravimetric analysis were measured to
calculate the organic matters decomposed. I found that 94% of the
decomposed organics (remain ash = 6%) up to 600 °C temperature.
That is the mass loss was recorded as 5.9 mg out of the initial 6.3 mg
masses.
5. Implications on the socio-economy and environment
The severe impacts of plastic as a solid waste and microplastics
contamination in the environment have been investigated, validated,
and demonstrated by different researchers in various publications (Wu
et al., 2019; Galloway et al., 2017; Rist et al., 2018). Microplastics
contain toxic chemicals as an additive like phthalate, organotin, non-
ylphenol, polybrominated biphenyl ether, and triclosan. Those toxic
chemicals can be released during the degradation processes (either
chemically or biologically) of plastic polymers in the open environ-
ment. Generally, the consequences are both the fauna and flora of the
environments. Some of the treats include aquatic lives, such as fishes
which a major food web to human existence. Fishes tend to swallow
microplastics intentionally on non-intentionally which can reach into
foods meant for human consumption, raising a concern on global food
safety final will be a consequence in the food scarcity (Fadare et al.,
2020). In the tourism industry, lounges coastal areas are very important
for countries' currency. But, once the shore environments have been
polluted with plastics and plastic particles, which reduces aesthetic and
recreational value thus, impacts to human social and mental stability.
The other important aspect of environmental deterioration and de-
gradation up to climate change. The occurrence of plastics and plastic
particles in the environment will contribute a drought then after global
warming due to carbon emission and disaster risk management will
become difficult (Reid et al., 2019; Shen et al., 2020).
Beyond the socio-economy and environmental impacts of face
T.A. Aragaw Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517

Table 1
Ten different kinds/brands of the surgical mask with respective characteristics (THE ONLINE MEDICAL DEVICE EXHIBITION, 2020).
Brands Basic characteristics

1 Non-woven surgical mask FM-04
2 Non-woven surgical mask/type II/disposable/
3-ply
3 Disposable surgical mask/3-ply/non-woven/
non-sterile
4 Type II surgical mask/polypropylene/
disposable/non-woven
5 Type IIR surgical mask SMSK001l
6 Type II surgical mask
7 Non-woven surgical mask/disposable/3-ply
HHAO MEDI
8 3-ply surgical mask/non-woven/2-ply TK-
9249
9 Type II surgical mask/disposable/non-woven
MP211
10 Type I surgical mask
✓ Further Price reductions on Type II surgical face masks
✓ Inco Terms (2020)
✓ Fully certified
✓ Type II, Disposable, 3-ply, non-woven, breathable, adult surgical mask.
✓ It is designed to prevent infections in patients and treating personnel by catching bacteria shed in liquid droplets and
aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose.
✓ They are not designed to protect the wearer from breathing in airborne bacteria or viruses whose particles are smaller.
✓ Three layers of filtering multiple protection
✓ N90 3-ply disposable face mask made up of PP non-woven & filter paper & ES cloth
✓ 17.5 × 9.5 cm with blue color
✓ Certification of CE(TUV) FDA EN14683
✓ Disposable, 3-ply, non-woven, non-sterile, medical mask with earloop
✓ Box packaging with Certificate
✓ The filtering effect is greater than 95%
✓ With CE, FDA certification
✓ 53 ∗ 38 ∗ 39 cm/10 kg
✓ Polypropylene, disposable, 3-ply, non-woven, non-sterile, adult
✓ To be worn to protect both the patient and healthcare personnel
✓ A single-use, disposable device(s), provided non-sterile.
✓ With three layers
✓ Made up of polypropylene, (PP/PE) and fabric blocks dust and microbes (> 99%).
✓ 17.5 × 9.5 cm (Adult); Packing: 50 pcs/box, 2000 pcs/carton; Color: Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow, Purple; Certifications:
GMP, CE, FDA, EN 14683
✓ Norms: type IIR. Detail description was not found from the manufacturer's website
✓ Single-use 3-ply masks are intended to trap particles and aerosols of respiratory flows (saliva, secretions, etc.) emitted
by the person wearing the mask while allowing them to breathe without difficulty.
✓ They have a long nose strip which helps keep them on the nose and limits fogging.
✓ The elastic bands, ear loops, are round and free of latex.
✓ They also allow, with their waterproof external face, to protect against possible projections during surgical procedures in
the operating room.
✓ Accordance with standard EN ISO 15223-1
✓ Disposable, 3-ply, non-woven
✓ Disposable Medical Surgical Mask with CE (Regular CE certification, China export white list)
✓ Executive standard: EN 14683:2019 Type IIR
✓ Material: 25 g non-woven + 25 g fabric Melt blown cloth + 25 g non-wove
✓ Color: blue; size:17.5 × 9.5 cm; sterilize: EO; Term of validity:2 years; Package data: 20 pcs/bag 40 pcs/box 2000 pcs/
carton; Carton size: 60 × 42 × 42 cm
✓ Non-woven face mask
✓ 2-ply or 3-ply is available With ear loops or ties
✓ Color: Green, Blue, White, Pink, etc.
✓ Disposable, non-woven
✓ Disposable Surgical mask, CE marked
✓ Composed of nonwoven fabric layer, filter material (melt-blown fabric), nose clip and mask belt. Product Size:
17.5 cm ∗ 9.5 cm; Package:10 pcs/bag, 5 bags/box,10 boxes/carton; Box Dimension: 25 cm ∗ 11.7 cm ∗ 11 cm; Gross
Weight: 3.14 kg, Net weight: 2.14 kg
✓ Disposable medical face mask
✓ Type: Flat earloop type ≥95% filtration
✓ Layers: 3 (Inner layer and outer layer—Non-woven fabric, middle layer: melt blown fabric)
✓ Size of mask: 17.5 cm ∗ 9.5 cm; HS code: 6307900010; Packing: 50 pcs/box, 40boxes/carton; Weight: 10.19 kg; Standard:
EN 14683, YY/T 0969-2013

masks as a source of microplastic pollution, the face mask can act as a
medium for COVID-19 out breaking. Because the nature of plastic
particles tends to proliferate microbes thus, it will disseminate in the
food chain and/or direct attacks.
The big deal is also arising nowadays as microplastics as a niche for
microbial and developing biofilms. The microbial constituents may
significantly different as compared with the natural freely living mi-
croorganism communities in the surrounding aquatic environment
(Yang et al., 2020). This can affect microbial habitual and the en-
vironmental processes in aquatic ecosystems. Microplastic abundance
in the globe increases dramatically makes the ecological function con-
sequences for the overall ecosystem and animal health, including hu-
mans are under question.
6. Regulations so far on plastic pollutions
Various governance strategies and regulations have been enacted
over the years to reduce the sources of plastic pollution in aquatic en-
vironments. The first global legislation is the International Convention
for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) signed in
1973 by 134 countries. But, legislation by itself is not enough and has
not effectively reduced the plastic pollution in the aquatic ecosystem.
This may be, due to the conflict of economic interests across the
countries. Also, recently the G7 and EU communities have taken a
committed action to sustainable plastic waste management practice by
increasing its reusability, and recycling strategies. The UN Environment
Programme has established strategies and guidelines to increase the
global awareness of plastic pollution and recycling and global plastic
waste management. But, the initiatives are not more conceptualized
and are under scrutiny. Thus, they should be accompanied by project
and research incentives to increase understanding of the microplastic
persistence in the open water system and develop controlling and/or
remediation plans (Carole Excell, 2019).
Particularly, the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC)
proclaimed on the production and use of disposable foam plastic ta-
bleware (SETC, 2001). The General Office of the State Council (GOSC)
restricted the production, sale, and use of plastic shopping bags; banned
too small plastic bags (b0.025 mm), and implemented charges for the

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T.A. Aragaw Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517

Fig. 2. Collection of various Covid-19 face masks of different types and colors (A) from Bahir Dar city littering and coasts of Lake Tana (photo credits by the present
author) (B) from Mediterranean ocean-bed Photo credit: Mediterranean ocean-bed (NEWS18, BUZZ).

use of other plastic bags in the market places beginning (GOSC, 2007).
Also, the GOSC broadcasted a new regulation on waste import on the
different Import of 24 types of waste that has been banned from daily
use (GOSC, 2017).
Besides the environmentalist, some countries government have been
worried and putting in place strict measures to control the persistent
proliferation of plastics as solid waste right now. For instance, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under their
project on the Marine Waste actions act approved the European
Commission. This project is expected to promote awareness towards
plastic particle pollution through the public education program (Li
et al., 2020). Different countries have made national plastic bags reg-
ulations. But, some of the countries have not made plastic bag regula-
tions. Even some are withdrawn from their plastic bag regulations after
a certain time. World resource reported on March 11, 2019, that 127
Countries have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic gag
ban as of July 2018 reviewed by the UN environment. The legislation
may absolute ban, partial ban to progressively phase-outs, and in-
centivizes the use of reusable bags. 15 countries in Africa, South Africa
were firstly introduced in 2003, have been declared that the plastic
bags should either banned them completely or charge a tax on them.
Asian countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan have a regulation on the ban on all
thin plastic bags and began requiring retailers to charge a tax on thicker
bags starting from 2008, but does not explicitly restrict their produc-
tion. Australia hasn't a regulation of ban on the plastic bag, but some
states, such as South Australia, and Tasmania have begun to put bans
legislation. Almost all European countries have a regulation on the
plastic bag bans, and actively fighting against it. Denmark was the first
European country which has been begun charging a tax on plastic bags

Fig. 3. Disassembled photo (photo credit by the present author) of the three-layer face mask (A) and the corresponding FTIR spectra (B)

5
T.A. Aragaw
0 with different brand codes were given The three layers of the face mask
TG
20
-1
Outer layer
15 Middle Layer
TG Mass loss (mg)
inner layer -2
DTA (µV)
10
-3
5
-4
0 DTA
-5
0
-5
125 0C
175 C
0 -6
130 C
100 200 300 400 500
Temprature (0C)
Fig. 4. Thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis of the three layers
surgical face mask.
in 1994. Also, Ireland has been begun the charging of customers for
plastic bags in 2002. Recently, England, Germany, Italy, Scotland, and
wales have put in place their banning regulation. Some of the North
American countries, such as the US have not yet put bans in plastic
bags, but Mexico and Canada have banned. South American countries,
such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia have not absolute bans
but, have measures mechanisms to reduce plastic bag use as only bio-
degradable bags are allowed recycling programs. Eighty-nine countries
we reviewed opted for partial bans or restrictions on plastic bags in-
stead of full bans. For example, France, India, Italy, Madagascar, and
several other countries, but they do ban or tax plastic bags that are
fewer than 50 μm in thickness (Carole Excell, 2019).
Irregular uses of plastic bags in the black market system make the
efficacy of bans and taxes hard to pin down, especially, the African, and
Asia countries. For example, the plastic bag use in South Africa dropped
90% after the ban regulation.
Even though face masks are one of the plastic solid waste material
after use, placing ban regulations on it remains the least option right
now. The reason may be considering its positive than the negative
impacts in the ongoing global controlling mechanisms against the
Covid-19 spreading. Furthermore, strengthening critical thinking in
research to provide eco-friendly alternatives for sustainable and effec-
tive face mask waste management systems to combat plastic pollution is
not timely. This means that mobilization and awareness of Covid-19
prevention, control, and eradication are intensive than plastic pollution
across the globe. The present author afraid that the microplastic pol-
lution, being adding face masks together, maybe the next worldwide
pandemic. Thus, I suggest that it will indeed be creditable if the
awareness on safeguarding our environment through reduction and
proper management of our disposable face masks can as well be carried
outside by side as like that of COVID-19 prevention mobilization.
7. Conclusion
Microplastics attract recent attention due to it is the emerging
contaminants. The occurrence, abundance, and quantity microplastics
originated from different personal care produced, but not the face
masks, were reported worldwide. However, there are no studies, and
knowledge about face masks are plastic polymers which end up as
microplastic and/or nanofiber contaminants in water systems. This
study evaluates the surgical face mask is a potential source for micro-
plastic contaminants in the littering as well as the water systems.
Illustrations on the electrospinning manufacturing processes and the
raw materials used for the productions of surgical face mask together
6
Marine Pollution Bulletin 159 (2020) 111517
were experimented and validated by chemical structure, endothermic
phase transition analysis as it is manufactured from plastic polymers,
especially from polypropylene. Thus, the analytical instrumental tech-
niques are important possible approaches for the identifications of
microplastic in microplastic pollutions research. The three layers in
surgical face mask are disassembled and have confirmed that they ac-
count a slight chemical and thermal characteristics though all are
plastic polymers. This short communication on the face mask can sig-
nificantly progress our understanding of the environmental problem
and more for the establishment/enforcement of legislation and reg-
ulations in the future.
Credit author statements
Tadele Assefa Aragaw: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data
analysis, writing the original draft preparation, Visualization,
Investigation, Final reviewing and editing.
Declaration of competing interest
The author declares that they have no known competing for fi-
nancial interests or personal relationships that could influence the work
reported in this paper.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank those organizations, and individuals whom I
have used previously published materials. The author apologizes to all
people, and organizations whose contribution to the field of micro-
plastic pollution may have been reviewed by the fault or not adequately
acknowledge.
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